Many devices exist for use in grilling, roasting, and/or smoking poultry. These devices can be elaborate, as typified by motorized rotisseries that employ doneness probes, and can also be extremely simple. A popular and very simple method of preparing poultry on a grill is commonly known as xe2x80x9cbeer can chickenxe2x80x9d where an open can of beer is placed on a hot grill, and the chicken is placed on the beer can such that the beer can is inserted into the hollow body cavity of the chicken and the chicken is maintained in an upright position. The heat from the grill causes the beer in the can to steam and boil, marinating the interior of the chicken and providing a cooked chicken that is flavorful and moist.
Though simple and effective, there are many drawbacks to cooking poultry over a beer can. For example, the beer can-and-chicken combination is unstable. When a beer can-and-chicken combination topples, the chicken can become soiled or contaminated, and the spilled beer may extinguish the fire within the grill. Secondly, a beer can comes in only one size so that this cooking method will not work will small poultry such as Cornish hens, or with very large poultry such as turkeys. Thirdly, the exterior surface of a beer can has coatings including paint and other finishes which may be toxic when heated. Finally, the chicken (or other poultry product) is not protected from the heat source in any way so that the drippings from the chicken fall directly onto the heat source, causing localized flame-ups which can burn the outside of the chicken.
A need exists for a simple device which will allow cooking of raw, eviscerated poultry by grilling, roasting, and/or smoking while providing stability during the cooking process, allowing steam or juices to be infused into the internal cavity of the poultry, and protecting the exterior of the poultry from. intense heat and flames during the cooking process. The device will adjust in size to allow cooking of a variety of sizes of poultry, and will collect the juices of the cooking poultry for re-infusion into the cooking bird.
A wide variety of devices are shown in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,739 that issued to Jernigan on Oct. 3, 2000 shows a device for supporting and steaming fowl consisting of a hollow, perforated, frustoconical insert mounted to a circular base, where the insert is filled with liquid for steaming the interior of the fowl during cooking. U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,585 that issued to Guidry on Sep. 19, 2000 discloses a cooking apparatus suitable for grilling whole chickens on a grill, the apparatus comprising a vertically oriented cylinder mounted to a base plate. The chicken resides upon the cylinder when the base plate is resting on a grill. The use of a flavored liquid within the cylinder to enhance the taste of the chicken is described, as is the use of perforations in the base to allow drippings from the cooked food to reach the heat source. However, these patents do not disclose a means for collection of juices from the cooking fowl, and do not provide a means to compensate for various sized poultry. The U.S. Pat. No. 532,729 to Glassmeyer that issued on Jan. 15, 1895 discloses a cooking apparatus having an automatic baster including a cooking pan and rack. The U.S. Pat. No. 495,821 that issued to Martin on Apr. 18, 1893 discloses a dripping pan with a perforated top member. However, these patents do not disclose a perforated tower on which to mount poultry during cooking and which will allow internal infusion of the poultry with steam and juices during cooking.
An innovative apparatus for cooking poultry is described herein that will allow cooking of raw, eviscerated poultry by grilling, roasting, and/or smoking, both in a conventional oven and using an outdoor cooker such a grill or smoker. The innovative apparatus will provide stability during cooking, allow flavored or unflavored steam and poultry juices to be infused into the internal cavity of the poultry, and protect the exterior of the poultry from direct heat and flames during the cooking process. The apparatus will adjust in size to allow cooking of a variety of sizes of poultry, and will collect the juices of the cooking poultry for re-infusion into the cooking bird.
The apparatus consists of a shallow pan and a lid that covers the pan. The lid contains a centrally located opening. The lid supports an upwardly extending, hollow, perforated poultry-supporting tower on its upper surface. The tower is mounted over the centrally located opening such that steam generated within the pan during cooking rises up into the tower, escapes through the perforations thereby infusing the poultry. The lid is also provided with at least one drain hole so that the drippings from the cooking poultry can be trapped within the pan, and re-infused into the poultry. This feature also promotes a cleaner grill, cooker, or oven since the drippings are captured within the apparatus.
The tower is detachable from the lid, and is interchangeable with alternative towers of differing lengths having different circumferences. Thus, a relatively short tower, that may have a small circumference is detachably affixed to the lid for use in cooking small poultry such as Cornish hens, and can be replaced with a mid-length tower having a medium circumference for use in cooking medium sized poultry such as chicken or duck, and can be replaced with a long tower having a large circumference for use in cooking large poultry such as turkey or geese.
In use, the appropriate tower for the poultry being cooked is secured to the lid and the raw, eviscerated poultry is placed on the apparatus such that the tower extends into the body cavity of the poultry and the poultry is supported in a vertical position. A preferred liquid is placed within the interior of the pan and the pan is covered with the lid. The apparatus is placed on a grill or in an oven or smoker. The heat source causes the poultry to cook from the exterior in the conventional manner with the result that drippings fall onto the lid where they drain into the pan. The heat source simultaneously causes the liquid within the pan, including the drippings, to convert to steam. The steam escapes from the interior of the pan through the perforations of the tower, thereby infusing steam into the body of the poultry from the inside. The liquid may be non-flavored and be used to provide moist, tender cooked meat. The liquid may also be flavored or seasoned, and may include beer or wine, or a marinade. Use of a flavored liquid imparts a desired flavor to the moist and tender cooked meat.